- BMW could have postponed giving its EVs access to the Tesla Supercharger network.
- The manufacturer said it would happen "later in 2025" rather than "early 2025" as initially announced.
Many automakers have already obtained access to Tesla’s vast Supercharger network for their EVs, and others are in the process of making it happen. However, it’s taking a little longer for some automakers like BMW, which reportedly won’t get Supercharger access in early 2025, as it had initially announced, but sometime later in the year.
CarsDirect obtained a bulletin that BMW sent to its U.S. dealer network on October 1, announcing that “access to Tesla Superchargers and BMW-certified adapters will become available later in 2025.” The announcement also recommended that “until then, it is recommended to exclusively use charging stations equipped with CCS1/J1772 connectors.”
In a press release from October 2023, BMW said, “Drivers of BMW, MINI and Rolls-Royce Electric Vehicles in the U.S. and Canada Will Gain Access to Designated Tesla Supercharger Stations in Early 2025.” The change from "early 2025" to "later in 2025" does not necessarily indicate a delay in Supercharger access, but it strongly suggests one.
We reached out to BMW for clarification, but the manufacturer neither confirmed nor denied the pushback, saying, “We’re working on a full integration to allow BMW Group customers to access the network via their respective vehicle apps, and working with our suppliers to develop an approved adapter solution.”
This means that BMW, Mini and Rolls-Royce owners will be able to see Superchargers through their vehicle apps as well as in the vehicles’ navigation systems. This is important because selecting a DC fast charger as your destination through the car's navigation tells it to start preconditioning the battery for maximum charging speed. If you use a third-party navigation app or simply drive up to a fast charger without letting the car know, it won’t bring the battery up to temperature on the way there, and you’ll have a slower charging experience.
BMW will also launch an adapter to allow owners to charge its vehicles, which exclusively come with a CCS1 port and J1772.
In the same October 2023 release, the big news was that BMW was on the path to adopt the North American Charging Standard (NACS) plug for its EVs, which was going to happen “starting in 2025.” We don’t know if the potential Supercharger access pushback has also affected the automaker’s plan to equip its vehicles with NACS to allow them to natively charge from any Tesla station without needing an adapter.
BMW is also working on a large-scale charging network joint venture with General Motors, Honda, Hyundai, Kia and Mercedes-Benz, whose goal is to have 30,000 DC fast chargers up and running by 2030. This potentially Supercharger-rivaling network is called Ionna, and it will cover the U.S. and Canada, where it will cater to both CCS1- and NACS-equipped EVs.
